Aug 2, 2020
Pursing Wisdom #2
True Wisdom Comes from God Alone
By Louie Marsh, 8-2-2020
1) Becoming wise takes DISCIPLINE.
1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5 (ESV)
Discipline = Freedom graphic.
10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success. Ecclesiastes 10:10 (HCSB)
2) True wisdom comes God ALONE.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Proverbs 2:6-8 (ESV)
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18 (ESV)
3) Godly wisdom GUARDS & GUIDES me.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; 10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, Proverbs 2:9-11 (ESV)
23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Proverbs 16:23 (ESV)
4) Godly wisdom DELIVERS me from sin.
12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, 13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, 14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, 15 men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. 16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, 17 who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; 18 for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; 19 none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. Proverbs 2:12-19 (ESV)
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13 (ESV)
God wants us to AVOID sin, not just ask forgiveness for it!
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
5) Godly wisdom brings me great REWARDS.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it. Proverbs 2:20-22 (ESV)
“And then came a damp, cold night in Flanders through which we marched in silence. And when the day began to emerge from the mists suddenly an iron greeting came whizzing at us over our heads. And with a sharp report sent the little pellets flying between our ranks ripping up the wet ground.
But even before the little cloud had passed from 200 throats the first Hurrah arose to greet the first messengers of death. Then a crackling and a roaring and a singing and a howling began. And with feverish eyes each one of us was drawn forward. Faster and faster until suddenly past turnip fields and hedges the fight began. The fight of man against man. And from the distance a song reached our ears, coming closer and closer, leaping from company to company just as death plunged a busy hand into our ranks.
The song reached us to and we passed it along, “Deutschland, Deutshland uber alles, over alles in der velt.” Four days later we came back, even our step had changed. 17 year old boys now looked like men. The volunteers of the list regiment may not have learned to fight properly, but they knew how to die like soldiers. This was the beginning.
Thus it went on year after year. But the romance of battle had been replaced by horror, the enthusiasm gradually cooled. And the exuberant joy was stifled by mortal fear. The time came when every man had to struggle between the instinct of self preservation and the admonitions of duty. I too was not spared by this struggle always when death was on the hunt a vague something tried to revolt. It strove to represent itself to the weak body as reason yet it was only cowardice which in such disguises tries to ensnare the individual. A grave tugging and warning set in and often it was only the last remnant of conscience which decided the issue. Yet the more this voice admonished one to caution the louder and more insistence its lures; the sharper resistance grew; until at last after a long inner struggle consciousness of duty emerged victorious.
By the winter of 1915-1916 this struggle had for me been decided. At last my will was undisputed master. If in the first days I went over the top with rejoicing and laughter, I was now calm and determined. And this was enduring. Now fate could bring on the ultimate tests without my nerves shattering or my reason failing. The young volunteer had become an old solider and this transformation had occurred in the whole Army. It had issues hard and cold from the eternal battle and for those who could not stand up under the storm – well they were broken.